All the mayoral candidates gathered for the first time at Midland College on Monday evening in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.

It was a nearly clean forum, with candidates shaking hands with one another and making jokes about each others’ slip-ups. Those who attended - a mix of young and older people - were given the opportunity to ask the candidates questions.

Though many questions were submitted to the moderator, the candidates only had time to answer four of them. The candidates were given a few minutes each to talk about their stances on their vision for the city, the housing market, public safety and water conservation.

Vision

“I try not to have a vision because I admit that I do not know,” said Dan Anderson, the outspoken libertarian candidate.

Instead of talking about his own vision, Anderson focused on the idea that good things come out of each person’s vision as a collective. But, if all the vision is centralized into an entity, then they don’t realize everyone’s visions.

The second candidate to answer, District 3 Councilman John James, said he imagines a Midland with good streets, good education, good health care and emerging technologies, but on the premise that these goals be achieved in a fiscally conservative way.

Kathy White stated she was a moderate conservative during the forum and she would consult with experts for their knowledge to better Midland.

Keith McLelland, senior landman for Total Field Services, said his vision was for Midland to have a more stable economy, having witnessed the volatile boom and bust cycles in the past.

And Jerry Morales, the at-large councilman and last to answer the question, said a comprehensive plan is missing that addresses the city’s rapid growth.

“If we want to be a business running community then we have to have our infrastructure in place, that our staff in city hall has employees, that there’s not too much red tape,” Morales said.

Housing

Every candidate was opposed to the city regulating the housing market when asked such. Instead, some candidates simply acknowledged that high housing prices is a supply-and-demand issue and government intervention is not a good idea.

“(Former President Richard) Nixon tried it in the 1970s, New York still tries it today,” James said. “That is failed policy for any government to get in the middle of the marketplace.”

Public safety

In a question that contained wording about both roads and police, candidates focused more on police.

It was no question that all the candidates agreed that more police recruitment and retention is needed as the cost of living in Midland increases.

“I am all about acquiring more police officers - first responders - to care for all of us as we travel our roads,” White said.

Water

The candidates differed on the topic that Morales called “blue gold.”

“Water will never be cheap again,” Morales said.

McLelland and Anderson were both for introducing private businesses into the water market, James and Morales were both for collaboration with cities in the region, and White emphasized water conservation.